Horror Icon of the Month: Tyler Mane

This month’s Horror Icon can simply be described as “towering”. He stands as tall as a giant and is one of the nicest people we have ever met. He’s been a wrestler, a mutant, and even a killer. Of course we refer to Tyler Mane and below you find out a little more about him and why he is a mainstay in horror now.

Tyler Mane was born in Canada on December 8th 1966. The road from Canada to Hollywood would not come so fast for Tyler. He had started taking an interest in professional wrestling and by 1986 he was already being used in matches. He studied under the great Hart family of Canada who ran Stampede Wrestling.

Wrestling would only be the beginning of Tyler’s great career. “I was a tall skinny kid with glasses and braces who was always picked on,” he reveals. “I felt like an outcast, and I decided I was going to do something about it. I dreamt of wrestling and acting as an action star. I was digging acting before anything, but I knew I needed a stepping stone to get there. Wrestling gave me that”

By 1999, Tyler had hung up his wrestling boots for good and made acting his full time job. He landed the awesome role of Sabertooth in the first X-Men film in 2000 and had this to say about the experience. “When we were filming, I knew we were doing something big; I just didn’t know how big it was going to be. It was another nice bridge to where I am today. It felt pretty badass.” Things picked up after X-Men and Tyler was next seen as the colossal King Ajax in the film Troy alongside Brad Pitt and Eric Bana.

Soon after Tyler became friends with Rob Zombie while doing a bit in his film The Devils Rejects , as Rufus. That friendship was extended by Zombie when he decided Tyler would play Michael Myers in his upcoming remake of the John Carpenter classic Halloween.

Mane brought a disturbing realism to the character that is Michael Myers. Michael was more intense, more relentless, more…brutal. This my friends was a great performance whether you like remakes or loath them. Tyler has said, “I like the fact that Michael Myers is a tormented, tortured human being. The way he expresses himself is through violence. In H2, he’s out amongst society, and he’s still wearing his mask with the big beard that I had. He’s always hidden himself and withdrawn from society. In my mind, Michael was trying to reunite with the only family that he know–Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton). I wasn’t approaching it as I’m trying to kill her. His only connection to humanity, so to speak, was Laurie.”

He brought even more of that gritty brutality to Halloween II as well. To me it was a lesser sequel just because the ending was a bit off. This has nothing to do with Tyler’s performance however. His presence was felt and he did what he cam to do. Talk of a Halloween III has been floating around Hollywood as of late and we may not see a return for Mane as Myers but then again who knows. Another awesome film Mane was in was 247°F. He played Uncle Wade and smoked weed and had a jacuzzi. Of course he was awesome!

Tyler has a firm hold on the pulse that is horror and has started his own production company called Mane Entertainment. The first of the companies films, Compound Fracture is having a tour for support with awesome screenings and events planned. You can read about it HERE. The film stars Mane along with Derek Mears(Friday The 13th, Predators) and Muse Watson(I Know What You Did Last Summer)

He explains, “I started up Mane Entertainment because I wanted to create quality projects at a reasonable price. Instead of waiting around for projects, I figured I’d build my own from the ground up. I want to have an active hand in the whole piece instead of simply acting. I went from the small-town kid to a wrestler to an actor to a producer with my own company. The next step is for me to be the visionary at the helm.” We can’t wait for that.

Tyler tours the horror convention circuit constantly and is always willing to shake hands, share a laugh, and maybe even choke ya out if your lucky. The few times we have chatted with him have always been hilarious and I personally look forward to the Eyegore Awards every year just to catch up with him and have a drink or two.

Truly, Tyler Mane will go down as a either a great action/horror icon or an awesome director and producer who was once a great action/horror icon. Either way, we salute ya Mr. Mane and keep on slaying them in the theaters!

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